Hot off the press is the news that Ancestry has added Surrey Parish records 1538 – 1987 to their collection. Surrey borders London/Middlesex so those with ancestors who lived in the capital should search these records also.

The collection consists of 4 sections

Baptisms, Marriages & Burials 1538 – 1812

Baptisms 1813 – 1912

Marriages 1754 – 1937

Burials 1813 – 1987

Many parishes combined the three types of records into one registers hence the 1538 – 1812 section, after Hardwick’s Act in 1754 separate registers for marriages had to be kept and then Rose’s Act of 1812 meant that separate registers were required for all three events.

If you want to learn more about parish registers go to my lesson page at

Another passion in my life is archaeology and on the excellent Archaeology News Network website there is a report that brings genealogy and archaeology together. A medieval church has been discovered underneath Lincoln Cathedral, it is thought it dates from the period after the Roman’s left Britain but before 1066. The unexpected discovery was made when archaeologists examined the site prior to a lift shaft being constructed. Burials have been found at 3 metres below the surface and some of the skeletons were wrapped in a finely woven cloth.

Of course what I, as a genealogist, wants to know is are there any records that can tell us who was buried there !!

Did any of your ancestors sail across the Atlantic and settle in New York? Many of us will find that people who disappear between census suddenly appear in the Big Apple. FamilySearch have just released a very informative free guide to New York ancestors. The guide comprises a series of research articles about tracing ancestors in New York City which is a vast area so you need all the help you can get.

One of the many interesting points made in the articles is that early New York records are held on The Netherlands. Included is a link to the records available online through the FamilySearch website.

FamilySearch has uploaded more of the Cheshire Bishop Transcripts, 1598 – 1900. The time period covered will vary from parish to parish, but to help with “your” parish I can found this very helpful page giving a table with parish, type of event, time period and number of records included in the database – https://familysearch.org/Cheshire/Coverage_Table

Just read an excellent article on Chris Paton’s blog about his attendance at a Scottish Archive Conference where photography in archives was covered and an article in the Guardian newspaper about the same subject. Those archives who don’t allow patrons to photograph documents should be encouraged to move with the times and follow the lead of the National Archives and allow such practices.

Read Chris’s blogpost and then enquire if the repositories you use allows photography and the use of Flip Pal scanners, if they don’t then start a campaign to get them to change their minds!

About Me

History, particularly Family History is my passion. I have worked in libraries & archives, I teach family history, conduct workshops and give genealogy presentations. It seemed a shame to have all this knowledge & experience and not share it with others, so this website was born.